Number of same-sex church weddings remains very small

The majority of places of worship that permit same-sex marriage only carry out a small number of ceremonies, with roughly half having actually married a gay couple, a new study shows.

A
report by the Universities of Leeds and York highlights the
disadvantage faced by same-sex couples seeking a religious marriage ceremony.

Same-sex
couples are prohibited from marrying in approximately 40,000 places of worship
that permit different-sex couples to marry, and there are only 182 places of
worship registered for same-sex marriage.

Researchers found that registering a place of worship for same-sex marriage can
sometimes create tensions between it and the broader religious group of which
it is a part, and can attract opposition and antagonism from other religious
groups in their local areas.

Registering
a place of worship can also produce conflict within a congregation, and some
members of a church may decide to leave.

During
debates over the enactment of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013,
considerable attention was given to the need for protections for individuals
who do not want to participate in same-sex weddings  as ministers, or
choristers, for example.

However,
the report shows that very few people refuse to participate and therefore
require these legal protections.

Study co-author, Robert
Vanderbeck, Professor of Human Geography
at the University of Leeds, said: Although many claims have been made about how
the introduction of same-sex marriage would affect religious groups that offer
it, this study provides the first systematic glimpse of what is actually
happening on the ground in churches and other places of worship.

For
instance, despite worries to the contrary, in ninety percent of places of
worship no person has refused to participate in a same-sex marriage ceremony.

The
report also found that many places of worship say that registering for same-sex
marriage has produced positive benefits within a congregation. These include
strengthening the solidarity of existing members, supporting existing LGBT members,
and attracting new members.

The
research report shows that among places of worship that have performed a
same-sex marriage, three-quarters have provided a religious marriage ceremony
to a same-sex couple that has not previously worshipped there, indicating that
they welcome couples who are excluded from marrying in their own place of
worship.

Study
co-author, Professor Paul Johnson, Head of the University of Yorks Department
of Sociology, said: Some places of worship regard their commitment to same-sex
marriage as a positive way of advertising and marketing their faith and
practice.

However,
despite many positive findings, the report emphasis that many same-sex couples
still face obstacles in seeking religious marriage ceremonies.

Study
co-author, Dr Silvia Falcetta, also from Yorks Department of
Sociology, said: This report shows that same-sex couples are at a significant
disadvantage to different-sex couples, because same-sex couples are more likely
to live in an area where there is no scope to be married in a place of worship
according to a desired religious ceremony.